KUALA TERENGGANU: Come 2025, the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is targeting to contribute five per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) via the agro-food sector.
Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the sector’s contribution to the GDP stood at 3.3 per cent or RM36 billion last year.
“The figure is rather small to me as we are still depending on imports and that we do not produce for exports.
“That’s why I have talked to farmers and those at the ministry to draft a bigger plan so that we can increase the contribution to five per cent by 2025,” he told reporters after opening the 43rd Terengganu Farmers Organisation annual general meeting here yesterday.
Ahmad Shabery also said the ministry would focus on new wealth areas which could ensure the objective to be achieved as well as produce more millionaires in agro-food.
“Among others, we must reduce dependence on imports such as livestock feed maize and expand exports on highly profitable products such as durians,” he added. — Bernama